No Cylinders in Hotels, Queue at Petrol Pumps: Amid Truck Drivers Stir, Mumbai Stares at Fuel Shortage

Mumbai is staring at an acute shortage of fuel as trucks of private distributors are are not being allowed to exit from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Wadala’s Mahul amid the nation-wide strike by truckers, taxi and bus operators on Tuesday

The restaurants in Mumbai have reportedly not received gas cylinders. More than 50 trucks of commercial gas cylinders of private distributors are said to be stuck at BPCL plant. Visuals also showed bikers queuing up at Sakinaka and Mira Road petrol pumps.

Some petrol pumps in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district stopped functioning on Monday, an office-bearer of the petroleum dealers association said.

In Navi Mumbai, a policeman was injured when a group of truckers attacked him in Nerul in the morning hours, prompting police to use force to disperse the mob gathered on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway, an official said on Monday.

The nation-wide strike is to oppose the provision of Rs 7 lakh penalty and 10-year jail term for hit-and-run cases under the newly-passed Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The All India Motor Transport Congress said these provisions, which have yet to come in force, can lead to undue harassment, and must be recalled.

The Maharashtra Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection Department had already written a letter to all police commissioners and superintendents of police expressing concern about the stir and its affect on the supply of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders.

Considering the affect of the strike, the police was requested to take necessary measures to ensure smooth and uninterrupted supply of those products.

The department also urged for appropriate action under the Essential Commodities Act against drivers and transporters for interruption of supply of petroleum products.